A partners' protection
by Blue Wolf2
Summary: Jim protects Chris from an abusive family member. Chris and Jim. ONE SHOT. Rating for language.


**NOTE:** I do not own SWAT or any of the characters in any way, shape or form. I'm just having some fun with them.

**A partner's protection **

"You want to come over tonight, meet my stepbrother?" My partner, Chris Sanchez asked me as we walked to our cars. We had just spent a hard day at work and now it was time to head home.

"Why do you want me to meet him?" I asked.

She shrugged. "I figured cause you were my partner, you'd want to meet him. You've met the rest of my family." I knew her stepbrother was staying with her for awhile, and had heard about him, but had never met him.

I nodded. "Sure, I'll stop by."

She grinned. "Alright, see you later."

I arrived at her house around 8. She opened the door, greeting me with a grin. "Hey man, glad you came." She said and ushered me in.

"JIM!" A little voice yelled and I turned in time to catch Eliza. She laughed as I picked her up, twirling her around.

"Hey munchkin, what's up?" I asked as I set her down. Chris watched with a grin on her face as Eliza told me about her day.

"You're good with kids." She had once told me. Honestly I never really liked taking care of kids, but it was hard not to love Eliza. She looked like her mother, and had the side most people didn't see of Chris; carefree and living life as it came.

"Christina!" A voice from the kitchen called. Chris sighed and Eliza grabbed my hand.

"What's wrong munchkin?" I asked her. "You scared?" She nodded her head slowly. I patted her shoulder as a tall guy dressed in jeans and a white shirt walked in the room. Chris's stepbrother.

"Who's this?" He asked.

"Josh, this is my partner, Jim Street. Jim, this is my stepbrother, Josh Martinez." Chris said.

"Hey," I leaned forward and shook his hand.

He gave me a once over then started talking to Chris. "You're out of beer."

Chris sighed. "I told you, I rarely drink the stuff."

He cursed in Spanish and I caught a few words. "Hey!" I snapped. "Watch your language around the kid man."

He looked over at me and grinned. "You didn't tell me this was her _father_ Christina." He said in a mocking tone.

"It's not Josh,"

"I'm just a friend." I said and saw Chris cringe, and I mentally kicked myself. I then picked up Eliza. "Come on munchkin, let's go find a movie for you to watch." I said and made my way to her room. Chris watched me with a small smile. As I caught her gaze I winked.

About twenty minutes later I walked down the hall, hearing raised voices. "You're sleeping with that punk, aren't you?" Josh yelled.

"No I'm not Josh! And why do you care who I sleep with anyway?" Chris yelled back.

I entered the kitchen and cleared my throat. "Chris, can I talk to you for a minute?" I asked. She nodded and walked into the living room with me. "I want you to come home with me tonight," She started to protest but I interrupted her. "Eliza too. I don't feel right leaving you two here with this guy."

She placed her hands on my abs. "Jim, I appreciate your concern, but I'm fine. Josh is just stressed, he lost his job yesterday." She patted my stomach. "I'll be fine, I promise."

I scanned her eyes. "Ok, but if you need me, you call, alright?"

She nodded. "You better leave, it's getting late."

I nodded also. "Yeah, just let me say bye to Eliza." Chris watched from the doorway as I said bye to Eliza and kissed her head, then she walked me to my car. "You need anything, call, ok?"

She nodded again. "I will." Then she kissed my cheek. "Night."

"See ya." I climbed in my car and drove off. As I did I got a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach.

It was close to midnight, why I was still up, I don't know. I had the TV on ESPN, watching random sport highlights. Then Rex started barking at the door. I ignored it, but then someone pounded on the door.

I made my way over and opened it. Who I saw shocked me. Chris, with Eliza asleep in her arms, her head on her mom's shoulder.

"Chris, what's going on?" I asked as I offered to take Eliza. She let me, and followed me in, locking the door.

I called my dog and gave him the command to lie on the bed next to Eliza. I brushed a piece of hair out of her eyes and she stirred in her sleep. Then I made my way back to the living room. Chris turned to look at me, and that was when I saw it.

A purple bruise, about the size of a quarter, just above her left eyebrow. "Who did that to you?" I asked as I reached out to touch it. She flinched slightly, but allowed me to run my fingers over it. My other arm wrapped around her waist and she placed one of her hands on my side. It was brand new, maybe a few hours or so old, I could tell by the feel.

"Chris," I said, pulling her chin up to look at me. "Did he do this to you?" She nodded slowly and my blood began to boil. Then I started towards the door.

"What are you doing?" She said and grabbed my arm, stopping me.

"I'm going after him, I'm gonna kick the bastards ass." I said.

"Jim, don't!" She snapped and I turned to look at her surprised. "Don't do anything yet. Just…let us stay here for the night?"

"Chris, you can stay here as long as you want, you know that." I said and hugged her. As I hugged her I heard a noise I had never heard come from Chris. Crying. I pulled back and looked at her. "Chris?"

"I couldn't protect her from him." She said, as tears fell down her cheeks.

"Who?"

"Eliza. That's why he hit me." She said her voice cracking. "She had changed the channel to the TV and he got mad. He grabbed her arm and I ran over, telling him to leave her alone. I just didn't see it coming. His hand flew out and hit me in the face." She said, more tears falling.

I pulled her into another protective hug and her hands gripped my t-shirt tightly. My muscles began to tense up in a rage. _The bastard would get it,_ I promised my self. _No one touches my partner or her kid that way. _

Later I sat down with Chris on the couch. She leaned her head on my shoulder and I rubbed her arm with my hand. Soon her heavy breathing told me that she was asleep. I laid her down on the couch, and spread a blanket over her.

Then I went to check on Eliza. I grinned when I saw my dog curled up next to her, keeping her warm. When I entered, he raised his head, his ears perked. _Don't worry buddy. _I thought. _We won't let the bastard get away with it._

I got a few hours of sleep, then at 6:30 I called Hondo. When he first answered he sounded mad that someone had woken him up so early, considering today was our day off.

"Hey, it's Street." I said.

"Street?" He asked. "Why the hell are you calling so early?"

"Hondo, listen, I need your help, it has to do with Chris." At this, Hondo was silent. I had never called my partner by her first name. He was smart enough to know something was wrong.

Chris woke up to find Hondo and I in the kitchen having coffee. "Jim?" She called and walked into the kitchen. I made a half smile. She had never looked more beautiful to me. Her hair was in its usual ponytail, but was a bit messy and her clothes were wrinkled from sleeping on the couch.

"Sanchez," Hondo said. "Good morning." Chris just glared at him. "Come here for a minute."

"I've got to go check on my kid." She said, trying to make a get away.

"I did five minutes ago. She's still asleep with Rex." She glared at me. I just gave her a look of _Please Chris._ Sighing, she walked over to Hondo, lifting her face up for him to look at it.

He reached out, touched her bruise and she flinched. "What happened Sanchez?" He asked. She stood there for a minute just looking at him. "I asked you a question."

She sighed again. "My stepbrother hit me last night." She said her voice low.

"Did he hit your daughter?"

Chris's gaze had been on the floor but now she raised it. With a look of hatred in her eyes she growled. "He grabbed her." I smiled, my Chris was back.

Hondo nodded. "Alright, let's go."

I quickly informed her that the babysitter was on her way. She nodded and went to check on Eliza anyway. A few minutes later the doorbell rang. I let her in, telling her we just had to run out for awhile, but should be back within a few hours and that she could reach us on my pager.

Soon we pulled up to Chris's house. Hondo ordered her to stay next to me as we made our way to the door. Hondo knocked and Josh answered. It took all my self control to not reach out and deck the guy.

"Yeah, what you want?" He asked Hondo.

"I'm with the LAPD. Sir, did you hit this woman?" He asked and I moved aside so Josh could see Chris.

"Yeah," The guy said, no remorse what so ever in his voice.

I could tell Hondo was mad, but he stayed calm. "Did you attempt to hit her daughter?"

"Little bitch wouldn't give me the remote." He said.

Hearing this, Chris lost it. She jumped forward, reaching for him and yelling a string of cuss words in Spanish. I grabbed her and dragged her down a few stairs.

"Crazy bitch!" Josh yelled.

"I may be a crazy bitch, but I'm one that could beat your ass!" She screamed as she fought my hold.

Josh laughed and I looked up at Hondo. He gave me a look as if to say; _It's your choice. _

So I let Chris re-deem herself. I let her go. She flew up the stairs and before the guy knew what had happened, she had him on the ground, punching him in the face. Finally, Hondo dragged her off of him and pushed her towards me.

"I'M GONNA PRESS CHARGES!" Josh yelled, standing up.

"No, _we're _gonna press charges." Hondo said and nodded at me. I then grabbed my hand cuffs, and snapped them around his wrists.

"Josh Martinez, you are under arrest by the charges of abuse and attempted minor abuse. You have the right to re-main silent, any thing you say, can and will be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney, if you can not afford one, the state shall provide one for you. Do you understand these rights I've given you?" I said as I pushed him towards Hondo's police car and placed him inside.

After I placed Josh in the car, I met Hondo and Chris by the steps. "You ok?" Hondo asked her.

She nodded. "Yeah, thanks."

Hondo nodded. "I'll take him down town; you might have to come in later so they can see your bruise."

"Just let me take my kid to my Mom's."

"I'll bring her down there." I offered.

Hondo nodded and started to walk off, but then turned around. "Whatever's going on between you two, keep it off the job." He said smirking.

As he drove off, Chris looked at me out of the corner of her eye. I turned towards her, and in doing so, my hand bumped hers. I started to lean towards her as I spoke. "Chris I,"

Suddenly, she placed a hand on my chest. "Jim," She said in a low voice. "We can't…" I looked down at her surprised. "It's not that I don't want to, but we're…"

"SWAT and SWAT is family." I said finishing her sentence, clearly remembering something Hondo had said at SWAT camp. She bit her lip and nodded. She started to turn away, but I pulled her towards me. "Fuck it," I hissed and she looked up at me. "Hondo doesn't need to know. Just…don't take this from me Chris, please." I scanned her eyes, awaiting a response.

And then she kissed me. She kissed me hard and with a passion I had never felt from a woman. She pulled back and smiled at me. Then our pagers went off. She glanced down and groaned. "Shit, you got your stuff with you?" She asked. Luckily we had brought two cars with us.

"Yeah, it's in the trunk. Go grab your stuff, I'll call the baby sitter and tell her she needs to stay longer." She nodded and took off towards her house. As I waited for the sitter to answer the phone I smiled. "Mount up."

**A.N. Credit to the phrase of Street saying "Don't take this from me," goes to Mistiec Hopefully the thought of Chris having a stepbrother was believable. Thanks for reading, please review.**


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